Sometimes you need a little blacklight

Let me pose a scenario: You stumble through a doorway near the University of Oregon bookstore, possibly extremely baked. Because sometimes you need somewhere to go when going to class a little glassy-eyed is not a good idea.

Once inside, your bloodshot eyes first notice the large, delicate-looking glass rigs that are meant for smoking — but only if you know what you are doing — situated just out of reach behind a long glass countertop. Resting on the countertop is a jar with a sign declaring that the jar accepts “green” donations.

You’ve stumbled upon Bree’s Way, where you’ll find the standard smoke shop fare: pipes and tie-dye T-shirts, as well as more esoteric items such as crystals and essential oils.

But as weedy as Bree’s seems, you’ll have to find cannabis elsewhere.

For me, what sets this shop apart from other smoke shops is its 3-D poster- and tapestry-adorned blacklight room where, if you ask nicely, you can borrow a pair of 3-D glasses and trip out with the lights dimmed — possibly finding inspiration for your own room. Glyphs, representations of Eastern gods, Alice in Wonderland and, naturally, Jimi Hendrix feature heavily.

If the building Bree’s Way resides in seems familiar, it’s because the location was formerly home to the Eugene iteration of Jambo World Crafts, which was purchased by longtime store manager Bree Crane in September 2017, then rebranded and restocked with items appealing to Crane’s sensibilities.

Crane, 46, says she has been in the retail industry since the age of 16 and has previously done “lots of big-box work.”

“It’s really cool, and I enjoy it a lot,” Crane says of the experience of owning her own store, and adds that she digs the increased flexibility ownership provides.

On hand to help is Renee Burshek, who started working at the shop last October.

“When I came here everything was really new to me,” Burshek says of the laid-back, pro-weed environment of the shop, and also of Eugene in general.

Burshek, who hails from North Dakota — a state where conservative politics rule and yet where in 2017 voters approved medical marijuana — says she arrived in Eugene after meeting someone online.

For the stoned shopper, Bree’s Way also features a low-cost, weed-themed event called the Smokin’ Dice Game, which will only set you back the cost of a mid-priced gram of weed: $7.

The packaging says the game is to be played with “grass” from the front lawn, but we know better.

Smokin’ Dice appears simple: You roll the four dice provided and follow the instructions indicated by the dice — instructions that will always include ingesting weed. If you’re still looking for something to do and don’t have a lot of money, and you’ve got a friend or two, then this simple dice game may be it.

And as for the jar that accepts “green donations,” Burshek says, “Sometimes people do put buds in the jar.” ■